Louvre Abu Dhabi ‘Dome’ – Jean Nouvel

During spring break, I visited the Louvre Abu Dhabi when I was back home – and the most striking part of the whole experience for me was the huge dome that acted as the ‘ceiling’ for the museum. I found it fascinating that part of the structure of the museum was also a piece of art and how this was integrated into the museum’s design. The dome was designed by architect Jean Nouvel and was inspired by the shadows of palm fronds in an oasis. The effect that the multi-layered lattice creates is intricate shadows that cover the walls and floors. The architect describes this as a ‘rain of light’ and his aim was to create a dancing interplay between light and shadow. This dome took around 10 years to design and create, and it was the planning and research that took majority of this time. I also came across this time-lapse video showing the building process from 2009-2017. Overall, I think that making the museum a piece of art was a very innovative idea and made the experience of visiting more immersive.

- Maha